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Health club signs lease in Newark’s West Ward

A rendering of the planned LA Fitness and other redevelopment of the property at 237-249 South Orange Ave.

An LA Fitness health club is coming to Newark’s West Ward under a development deal that recently obtained land-use approvals, real estate investment firm JJ Operating Inc. announced Monday.

JJ Operating said in a news release it has obtained the go-ahead to put the health club in a vacant former Pathmark property at 237-249 South Orange Ave., it said in a news release.

“With our formal approvals in place, we are now able to move full speed ahead with construction to kick off the redevelopment projects,” Jack J. Jemal, partner in New York-based JJ Operating, said in a prepared statement. “We are excited to bring LA Fitness, a first-class health club, to the market, with occupancy scheduled for late 2018.”

LA Fitness will be the anchor tenant at the long-vacant property, which will also house smaller retailers, JJ Operating said.